Case for carrying articles

ABSTRACT

A carrying case and pouches for articles is described. The case includes a plurality of panels joined at the spine of the case, and may include a fastener to keep the case closed. The case may be opened to expose the panels. The pouches may be removably attached to the panels, with several pouches per panel, using a hook-and-loop fastening system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to carrying cases, and moreparticularly to cases having removable storage pouches.

2. Discussion of the Background

Many people accumulate many articles that, for various reasons, need tobe organized, protected or separated from one another. Thus, forexample, it is not uncommon for a person to possess many sets ofearrings, necklaces, or other pieces jewelry. The earrings form matchedsets that may get separated, the necklaces may get tangled with otherobjects, and the pieces may become damaged from contact with otherpieces.

Prior art solutions to the problem of sorting articles include placingindividual articles in separate closable pouches or containers, and incontainers with fixed compartments or individual positions for thearticles. These solutions are rather limited, as they do not permit aperson to readily arrange or organize the contents of the fixed pouchesor compartments for later use.

Thus there is a need in the art for an apparatus that permits a personwith a great number of articles, such as jewelry, to easily view eachpiece and arrange or organize the articles. Such an apparatus should beportable, easy to use, and allow a user to arrange pieces at will.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of prior art byproviding a system having panels on which the users may place, accordingto their own organizational system, closable pouches.

In one embodiment, an article holder is provided including a closablecase having one or more panels, one or more pouches, and a fasteningsystem to removably attach at least one of the one or more pouches toone of the one or more panels.

In one embodiment, an article holder is provided including a case havinga front, a back, a spine joining the front and back, and one or morepanels each attached to the spine. The article holder further includesone or more pouches, and a fastening system to removably attach at leastone of the one or more pouches to one of the one or more panels.

These features together with the various ancillary provisions andfeatures which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed description, are attained by the article holder ofthe present invention, preferred embodiments thereof being shown withreference to the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the case system of thepresent invention in a closed configuration;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the case system of the present inventionin an open configuration; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing several panels;

FIG. 3A is a detailed view 3A-3A of FIG. 3 showing the panels and coversattached to the spine; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view 4-4 of FIG. 2 showing the placement of aplurality of pouches on the panels.

Reference symbols are used in the Figures to indicate certaincomponents, aspects or features shown therein, with reference symbolscommon to more than one Figure indicating like components, aspects orfeatures shown therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a case system 100 ofthe present invention in a closed configuration, and FIG. 2 is aperspective view of the case system in an open configuration. As shownin the Figures, case system 100 includes a case 110 that may contain oneor more removable pouches 120. Case 110 includes a front cover 111 and aback cover 113 that are joined at a spine 115, and a fastener 117attached to the covers. Fastener 117 can be closed, as shown in FIG. 1,securing covers 111 and 113, and can be opened, as shown in FIG. 2,exposing one or more panels 119. As described subsequently, panels 119are configured to removably accept pouches 120. Each pouch 120 may beused to store articles A.

The number, shape or construction of the one or more panels 119 is notintended to limited by the illustrative drawings. In variousembodiments, case 110 includes one or more panels 119. Thus, for exampleand without limitation, case 110 may include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, ormore panels 119. In certain embodiments, each panel 119 is identical. Inother embodiments, there may be differences between different panels, asdiscussed subsequently.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing several panels 119attached to spine 115, FIG. 3A is a detailed view 3A-3A of FIG. 3showing the panels and covers 111 and 113 attached to the spine; andFIG. 4 is a sectional view 4-4 showing the placement of a plurality ofpouches 120 on the panels.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A, one embodiment of panel 119, having a side119 a and a side 119 b, includes a stiffening element 301 covered with asurface 112. Stiffening element 301 may be, for example, cardboard, andsurface 112 may be a surface that accepts pouches 120. Surface 112 isjoined to spine 115 by stitches 303. Each panel 119 may thus open, inbook fashion, and have two sides (119 a and 119 b) which may be providedwith removable pouches 120, as shown in FIG. 4.

In another embodiment, only part of a panel side, or only one of thepanel's sides, may include surface 112. Thus, for example, the inside ofthe case or and one or more sides 119 a or 119 b may include surface112. Alternatively, only a portion of one or both panel sides 119 a and119 b of a particular panel may include surface 112.

In various embodiments, case 110 can is generally a foot or less on eachside, but which may be as large as two or three feet on a side. Incertain embodiments, for example and without limitation, case 110 mayhave dimension that may be 13 inches by 12 inches, 9 inches by 6 inches,4 inches by 4 inches. In certain other embodiments, panels 119 are ½inch to 1 inch shorter in each dimension.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, each pouch 120 includes a pocket 121 having aclosure 123 and a strip of fastening element 125 near the open end ofthe pouch. As shown in FIG. 2, articles A may be placed within pouch120, which may then be sealed. In one embodiment, pocket 121 is formedfrom a plastic, such as a polyethylene plastic. In another embodiment,pocket 121 is formed from a cloth. In one embodiment, closure 123 is are-sealable zipper. One such zipper is, for example and withoutlimitation, a reusable, re-sealable system such as is found on Ziplocbrand zipper storage bags. In another embodiment, closure 123 is a snapclosure. In yet another embodiment, closure 123 includes a draw string.

In one embodiment, each pouch 120 has may vary one inch on a side tobeing the size of panel 119.

As shown in FIG. 4, a fastening system 130 is provided to attach pouch120 to case 110. Thus, for example and without limitation, fasteningsystem 130 is a hook-and-loop fastening system including a loop surface112 and a matching hook surface 122. Thus, for example, panel 119 may beformed from, or covered by, a material having a loop surface 112, andfastening element 125 may include a hook surface 122. Pouches 120 maythus be held in place on panels 119 using fastening system 130. Examplesof a loop surface 112 and matching hook surface 122 are well known inthe field, and are manufactured for example by VELCRO® (VELCROINDUSTRIES).

In one embodiment, fastening elements 125 for a small strip or patch onpouch 120, permitting the placement of one or many pouches on each panel119.

Case system 100 may thus be used as follows. A user is provided with aplurality of pouches 120. One or more articles A may be placed in pouch120. Articles A may be organized by pouch 120, for example with eachpouch containing a pair or earrings, or individual necklaces. With casesystem 100 open, as in FIG. 2, pouches 120 may be place on panel 119,such as side 119 a or 119 b, using fastening system 130. Pouches 120 maybe organized on panels 119, if desired, by placing, for example,earrings on one panel, rings on another panel, and necklaces on a thirdpanel, or by grouping objects that are related on separate panels. Case110 may then be folded and fastener 117 secured, as in FIG. 1.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases“in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughoutthis specification are not necessarily all referring to the sameembodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures orcharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would beapparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, inone or more embodiments.

Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the above description ofexemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of theinvention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure,or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosureand aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventiveaspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than allfeatures of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claimsfollowing the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporatedinto this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as aseparate embodiment of this invention.

Thus, while there has been described what is believed to be thepreferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art willrecognize that other and further modifications may be made theretowithout departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intendedto claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope ofthe invention.

I claim:
 1. An article holder comprising: a closable case having one ormore panels, one or more pouches, and a fastening system to removablyattach at least one of said one or more pouches to one of said one ormore panels.
 2. The article holder of claim 1, wherein said fasteningsystem includes a first surface on at least one side of at least one ofsaid one or more panels and a second surface on at least one of said oneor more pouches
 3. The article holder of claim 2, where said fasteningsystem is a hook-and-loop fastening system.
 4. The article holder ofclaim 3, where said first surface is a hook surface of said fasteningsystem and wherein said second surface is a loop surface of saidfastening system.
 5. The article holder of claim 1, wherein said casefurther includes a front and a back, and a fastener to attach said frontand back, such that said one or more panels are contained within saidcase.
 6. The article holder of claim 1, where one of said one or morepouches includes a pouch closure.
 7. The article holder of claim 6,wherein said pouch closure is a re-sealable zipper.
 8. The articleholder of claim 6, wherein said pouch closure is a snap closure.
 9. Thearticle holder of claim 1, wherein at least one panel of said one ormore panels has two opposing sides, and where said fastening systemremovably attaches at least one of said one or more pouches to one ofsaid two opposing sides.
 10. The article holder of claim 1, wherein atleast one panel of said one or more panels has two opposing sides, andwhere said fastening system removably attaches at least one of said oneor more pouches to one or the other of said two opposing sides.
 11. Anarticle holder comprising: a case having a front, a back, a spinejoining said front and back, and one or more panels each attached tosaid spine, one or more pouches, and a fastening system to removablyattach at least one of said one or more pouches to one of said one ormore panels.
 12. The article holder of claim 11, wherein said fasteningsystem includes a first surface on at least one side of at least one ofsaid one or more panels and a second surface on at least one of said oneor more pouches
 13. The article holder of claim 12, where said fasteningsystem is a hook-and-loop fastening system.
 14. The article holder ofclaim 13, where said first surface is a hook surface of said fasteningsystem and wherein said second surface is a loop surface of saidfastening system.
 15. The article holder of claim 11, wherein said casefurther includes a fastener to attach said front and back, such thatsaid one or more panels are contained within said case.
 16. The articleholder of claim 11, where one of said one or more pouches includes apouch closure.
 17. The article holder of claim 16, wherein said pouchclosure is a re-sealable zipper.
 18. The article holder of claim 16,wherein said pouch closure is a snap closure.
 19. The article holder ofclaim 11, wherein at least one panel of said one or more panels has twoopposing sides, and where said fastening system removably attaches atleast one of said one or more pouches to one of said two opposing sides.20. The article holder of claim 11, wherein at least one panel of saidone or more panels has two opposing sides, and where said fasteningsystem removably attaches at least one of said one or more pouches toone or the other of said two opposing sides.